Electricity meter



May 26, 1942. JQINDERGAND 2,284,423

ELECTRICITY METER- Filed Nov. 8, 1938 VENTOR I MAW ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 26, 1942 f r wee 21,284,428: 7 ELE RICITY Mar an Josef Indergand, Zug, Switzerland, assignor to r LanGisSz-Gyr, A-G., Zug, Switzerlandmcorpoe ration of Switzerland 7 7 Application November 8, 1938, Serial No. 239,474 In Switzerland November 15, 1931 g i 2 Claims. (01. soc- 159) The invention relates to new and useful improvements inelectricity meters, and more particularly to such improvements in the driven spindle and disc construction in order to eliminate undesirable noise and motion; due to the driving of said parts.

' 'Objects and advantages'ofthe invention will be set forth inpart hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the samebeing realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed outin the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawing, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrates one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section and partly diagrammatic, of a meter'mechanism embodying the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged fragmentary sections through other forms of meter disc and spindle mechanisms.

Objects of the invention are to eliminate or efi'ectively damp humming noises in electricity meters, and to this end to provide resilient transverse movement of the meter spindle, and preferably of a portion of the spindle; to provide such resilient movement in desired and effective relation with the cooperating -meter elements,

' istering means; to provide simple, strong and reliable means realizing the stated objects, together with others hereinafter pointed out or flowing from the novel features of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, the principal parts of an electricity meter are shown, partly diagrammaticallvin Fig. 1. Pressure coil l', 'wound on a core 2; and current coils 3, wound on a core 4, act to drive the meter disc 5 and its spindle 6, the spindle having a top bearing 1 and a' bottom bearing 8. There are suitable drivingmeans between the spindle 6 and'a register 9, comprising a worm 10' fixed on'the spindle, thejworm' being mesh With-a worm wheel H connected byigearing to theregister 9.

In'the'embodied form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 a hollow, downwardly open hub I1 is fixed to' the disc 5, and also to the spindleB at some distance above the plane of the idisc'5.

The spindle 6 is shown as having two separate rigid parts or members, the upper rigid portion l8 carrying the worm l0 and the hub I1, and thereby the rotating disc 5. This part of the spindle, and the drive therefrom to the register, constitutes a continuous rigid connection from the meter disc to the register. The bottom rigid part IQ of the spindle is journaled in the bottom end bearing 8, and the two spaced-apart ends of the aligned spindle portions l8 and I9 are located within the hollow hub l1. The transversely resilient connection between said parts 18 and [9 comprises a spiral spring 29, which fits tightly onto the ends of the two spindle parts l8 and I9, and extends across the intervening gap, thereby constituting a transversely resilient movable juncture in this median portion of the spindle, between the upper rigid part 13 and the bottom rigid part Hi. This resilient connection is preferably enclosed within and protected by the hollow hub I! with ample clearance.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, the meter spindle is shown of continuous or unitary structure throughout its length, the median transversely resilient portion being integral with, or connected to, the upper and lower rigid portions of the spindle. In this form, the median portion 23 is of greatly reduced diameter as compared with the portions l3 and l9 and constitutes a spring rod, and thereby gives the desired transverse resilient movement. The hub ll is relatively long, and the upper part of the hub is drawn at its upper end onto and fixed firmly on the lower part of the rigid shaft portion l8 the long, hollow hub enclosing the thin resilient part of the spindle with ample sidewise clearance. The thin resilient part 23 of the spindle extends down to the plane of the disc., .and -has a length which is many times the diameter of the large part I8 of the spindle. Suitable openings 24 are pro ided in. the hub, if. desir d, to permit the relatively short and is located relatively far from V the driving disc:5 and close to the worm H). In this constructionthe hollow hub I! fixed to the The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying 5 claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

WhatI claim is: i

1. An electricity meter having a driven disc disc 5 is of greatly elongated form, extending up: and spindle, the spindle having rigid end parts wardly to enclose the thin, resilient spindle part 23 and the upper end of the hub, above the part 23 is tightly drawn onto, or. otherwise firmly fixed to the rigid spindle portion l8 flosel'y below "and an integral medial transversely resilient "spring rod part of less diameter than said rigid end parts.

2. Iri a;fi;electricity meter, a driven disc and the worm in. In this constructionthe hollow hub "spindle; said'jspindle having a rigid upper part N of the disc 5 and the relatively long lower rigid section l9 of the spindle','which lies. with.

suitable lateral clearance within menus, .are of relatively great length, that is, there is ..a very relativelyshort and located nearer the juncture long leverage from the driving disc 5 to the transversely resilientiorlspring 'rod' part 23 of the spindle, which arrangement is especially advantageous indamping the humming noise.

Through the application of my invention in some suitable form, the-rotor spindle can yield resiliently in a radial direction, andthereby the oscillations of the rotor system which result from ,the electromagneticfluxacting on the'driving disc are 1 takenup; so-that the transmission of these oscillations, whichv are liable to cause a humming noi s e,-are cut oif from the footstep or and a 'medial transversely resilient part, a long hollow hub. connecting said disc and said upper "rigid .partl'of the spindle and enclosing said resilient -part,.of the spindle, said resilient part being 25 tively short medial transverselyre'silient part,

a long hollow hub connectingsaid disc and said upper rigid part. of the spindle above and'adjacent to said transversely resilient part, the lower rigid part of the spindle extending upwardly within; the hollow hub. with-lateral clearance within the huh. g Y 1 a 1 r JOSEEINDERGAND. 

